Tag: this american life

“do unto others”

My neighbor went and saw Ira Glass at the conclusion of the Wordstock festival Sunday night. She related the following story from his presentation: (Thanks Elizabeth!)

so last night [Ira Glass]
played a short clip
[listen to the clip at the bottom of this post]
from a guy who was trying to explain to his daughter
about the crucifixion of christ
after driving by a cross
with jesus on it
he explained that at the time “do unto others” was a radical idea
and he told it in little 4-year-old language
a couple weeks later was martin luther king day
so he was off work
when his daughter wanted to know why
he explained the story of martin luther king
the girl asked
did he tell the stuff jesus told?
her father said, actually, yes
then she asked
“daddy…”
“did they kill him too?”

at the end ira closed with a thought
and it choked him up
he said
there is so much wrong in the world today
but i do believe
that the best way, the only way
to overcome the evils
is to be ourselves

and somehow
it didn’t sound corny
at all

 i think the success of ira’s show
is proof
that we are all of the same cloth
that we yearn to hear of the joys and plights and sorrows and absurdities of others
because they are all within us
we hear it and we know
it is real

 Kids – Jesus & MLK Jr.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/do-unto-others/